The present invention relates to an apparatus for counting a great number of articles of same kind.
In manufacture process or circulating process of articles it is sometimes required to count the number of articles of same kind. It has been known to detect the number of articles by dividing the total weight of total articles to be counted by a unit weight of a single article. This counting apparatus utilizes a fact that the articles of the same kind have the same weight. However such a counting apparatus produces a counting error which could never be avoided theoretically due to difference in weight of respective articles, and also can be applied only to a static measurement, but could be hardly applied to a dynamic measurement during a manufacture of articles or feeding of articles for packing them separately.
In known dynamic counting method the respective articles are detected either optically by projecting a light beam upon articles passing through a given measuring point, or electromagnetically by means of an access switch depending upon material of articles. However in these known counting methods an accurate count value could not be obtained unless the respective articles are delivered separately so as to detect the articles one by one, and thus a relatively complicated and expensive parts-feeder must be provided and further a counting speed could not be so increased. Particularly in the optical method if articles are transparent or have a flat or complicated shape, a counting error might be produced in dependence upon attitude of articles passing through the measuring point. Further complicated articles such as coiled springs which are liable to be twisted together and could hardly be fed separately could not be counted by known counting apparatuses.